The Noble Heart
by Chitose Fama
Summary: As a soldier, Roren Agnellus is exposed great darkness everyday. It is these trials of the spirit that create the power of The Noble Heart within him, a power that will start a new, and touching adventure for Sora and his friends. S X OC
1. Prologue

(Note: I wrote this fan fiction for a few reasons. The main character, Roren, is also the main character of my comic book that I'm trying to write, and I wanted to establish his personality and history. I also needed to be inspired to keep writing, since I was getting board. So the fan fiction has helped with that. The purpose of the Prologue is to fill any readers in on Roren's life up to the point where he meets Sora, but **it is not essential to the story**. I would recomend reading it if you want to know about him, but it is not super important. Thank You for reading :) )

Prologue- Roren's Life: Through Year One

Roren Agnellus had already lived a hard life before he even met Sora, I can tell you; I know all about it. I would know, since I wrote it that way. His father was a soldier, captured by Rommorans while fighting on a battlefield, so you can go ahead and assume he is dead, even though Roren won't. His mother died as well, so he lives with his sister and his aunt in a musty old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.

Although Roren is very personable (the kind of guy who is just a hoot to spend time with) he is actually fairly uninteresting. Well, I couldn't leave him that way, so you should know that he has a great power. When he was young, a stranger named Thane sealed the power of The Devastation inside of him, giving Roren strength to destroy mountains. It is the very same power that brought about the end of The Ancients, and before long it will destroy Roren too, if he gives into it.

Thane wants to use Roren, but maybe this boy has stronger resolve than the man realized. That is how it happens sometimes, in the best stories.

Later in his life Roren enlists in the army, where he meets Captain Henry Adams. Henry is always calm, and he has difficulty understanding the way Roren thinks. All the same, he worries about the enthusiastic young fighter, for he knows about The Devastation, and what it will do.

During one particular battle, Roren thinks his new friend Kari has been killed, and that she gave her life to stop the enemy. He awakes on the field in the aftermath of the struggle, feeling dazed and weary.

Everything around him is charred and desolate, all the grass burned away in the gunpowder explosion. He sits up and looks around. The death he sees his heartbreaking, but only because he is not used to it yet.

"What a mess," he sighs. His hands are scrapped raw, and they leave streaks of blood on his forehead when he whips his face with them. "Kari…" he says and shakes his head. Maybe he will cry; he has a big heart, you see, and has trouble accepting the horror of the battle.

Then he sees her as she shakily stands up somewhere in the distance. Roren is suddenly frantic, but happy as he struggles to his feet. "Kari!" He calls, and runs to her.

Kari doesn't see him right away, but he rushes up to her and seeps her feet up in his arms. They both laugh as he spins and dances around on the burned out earth.

"We did it!" He shouts. His arms are weak, but he still holds her. "We did it! I can't believe it! We—you! You did it! You're amazing! You are absolutely amazing!"

Kari smiles and laughs at him. Finally he falls to the ground, crying and chuckling at once. He is hurt, and they are tired, but they are so happy just to have survived.

**:**

Time goes on, and Roren meets other soldiers and friends. All the while he struggles inwardly with The Devastation, trying to decide if he wants to keep it, or throw it away forever.

At one time Roren is given an assignment to deliver a letter to another division of the army, but is waylaid in a town that is about to start a war with a neighboring kingdom. Roren must act as a body guard to Prince Elijah and his sister Princess Kate in order to deliver his message. Elijah has the ability to read the wind, and direct it, making him the rightful heir to his family's kingdom, if he ever chooses to return there. Kate means everything to her brother, but despite Roren's attempt to save her, she is killed by assassins.

**:**

The funeral is long over, but Elijah still stands at the crest of the hill, letting the driving rain soak his cloths. Roren knew the young prince was causing the rain, as a symbol of his sorrow. Roren feels cold, wet, and heartsick for his friend. He doesn't dare close his eyes, for he knows it will be Kate that he sees.

Kari comes up beside him and lightly touches his elbow. "You should go talk to him."

"Why me?"

She pushes him a little, and frowns. "I just think you should go. It'll be important."

"But I…" He has no excuse, and hides his discomfort by sighing as if he is annoyed.

Kari walks away, refusing to hear Roren's protests. He watches her go, and then strides slowly up the hill, his boots slipping on the wet grass.

He stands behind Elijah, a little ways apart from him. He clears his throat, and Elijah can feel his breath even from a distance. "Do you…uh, want to come back now?" Roren asks.

Elijah is like a statue of a boy with his head hung low. Roren shifts closer just to make sure he is heard. "Listen, Elijah, I'm really sorry…" the words seem so tired to him, but he finishes "…about Kate."

Still the other boy does not move, and the rain continues to fall.

Roren looks up at the grey sky, and raindrops hit his face. "I was wondering, is this how you cry? By making it rain?" He scuffs the ground with his foot and takes a deep breath. "Because…I've only seen you cry once about this, and…I just want you to know that it's okay to cry…if you want to."

At first it doesn't appear that his words mean anything to the other boy, but please know that they did. In fact, that was all he needed to hear.

Elijah turns around and quickly runs to the unprepared soldier. He presses his soggy head against Roren's chest and cries, while the rain falls even harder on them. Roren tenses with surprise, but then slowly wraps comforting arms around the heartbroken boy. He is colder than ever, but he stays out in the storm with Elijah until the sky clears.

Roren had been in many other fights, but those are stories that I plan to tell another way. I will say that he used The Devastation, and that he had to fight many times, and sometimes kill. There were moments during that first year when he would slump down a weep for the horrible things he had seen and done, but he would rise every morning ready to do it all again.

You see, one thing he believed was that this was the way of things, if he ever expected freedom in an evil world, but that can mean so many things. Truly, his heart was torn up, both by the war, and by Thane, who had darker plans for him. And now, one more battle has just ended, but the story, and the magic, are just about to begin.


	2. Chapter 1

1

What a place to fall into. The ground is hard, torn and ripped from countless feet and hooves that have charged over it. There are no living people around, but there are more shadows than there should be. They reach out from the trees and from under rocks, and they grow while they wait for passers by.

They all shrink back when Sora walks by. I guess he does not notice them or their furious shrieking. He has never been to this place before, but he is needed everywhere, and by everyone, so it is good for him to be anywhere. He walks, knowing that the start will find him, because it always does.

Ah, there it is.

Sora sees someone up ahead, moving jerkily over the wasteland. He makes no secret of his approach to this stranger, trumping along with loud, careless footsteps. What this hero doesn't know is that Roren has learned to be weary of every sound when on a battlefeild.

He whisks a fiercely sharp knife out of his belt and points it right at Sora's startled face. The boy stops cold, Donald and Goofy stumbling up behind him in a flurry of gawks and quacks.

"Slow down, now friends," Roren says and levels the blade of the knife at the lively trio.

Sora frowns at him a little. "We don't want any trouble."

"Are you Rommoran? You're not exactly wearing armor."

"We're just passing through. I'm looking for some friends of mine," Sora explains, ignoring the comment about his bright red clothes.

Roren gazes at them coldly, keeping the gleaming knife steady in his dirty hand. Then relaxes slightly when none of them move. After a moment he shrugs and slips the sharp little weapon back into his belt. "You didn't attack me, though I gave you a good chance to, so I'm going to assume that you're alright." He smiles when they look at him oddly. "You can't be too careful out here, especially with all these weird monsters prowling around. I mean, as if the Rommorans aren't bad enough, now we have those things to deal with."

"Monsters?" Donald says in his unnatural voice. Goofy nods and whispers, "Heartless."

"I'm out searching for some friends too," Roren tells them. "I'm pretty sure the Captain is alright, since nothing really gets him all flustered, you know. But, it's been far too long since I last saw Kari and-"

"Kairi?!" Sora interrupts. "Did you say Kairi? Do you know where she is?!"

"No, _Kari_," Roren laughs. "Boy, you sure got excited. I guess that's who you're looking for?"

"And Riku, too."

"And don't forget about the King," Goofy puts in.

Roren holds up his hands and laughs again. "You guys seem to have a good number of people to look for." He sets his hands on his hips and considers them a minute. He smiles thoughtfully, and then goes on. "Tell you what, I don't trust you kids to make it out here on your own. I can't say that I trust you enough to lead you to my camp either, but don't take that to heart or anything."

He offers his blistered hand to Sora. "I'll take you into town myself, and we can ask around for your friends there, but you have to promise to stick with me 'til we get there, deal?"

Of course they agree, and moments later the new company is trudging over the resting battlefield, keeping their eyes open for danger. Sora wants to lead, but Roren has to keep telling him where to go, and don't turn there, stay away from that tree, and watch where you walk because there could still be traps buried under the dirt.

It isn't long before the heartless start following them. The dark creatures thrive on the fear, hate and destruction of the battle, and they whisper of the death that they find.

Roren can hear their muttering, and the vile words even echo in his heart. After all, he is also guilty of such thoughts and actions, but as a soldier his life is filled with those things. He knows from experience that a battlefield is a different world.

"Do you hear that?" Sora comments.

"It's those monsters," Roren says. "I hope you all are ready, because I'm pretty sure they're going to attack us."

A few yards away a dark pool forms, and out of it crawl several sinister creatures. Their great black heads are like wolves', and in their drooling mouths they carry ebony-colored daggers. Their yellow eyes are bright, but absolutely empty as they seek out the travelers.

"You guys gonna be alright?" Roren hollers and draws his sword. "We won't be escaping these brutes!"

"Don't worry about us," Sora assures him. "Just look out for yourself."

A light flashes in his hand, and his keyblade appears. Behind him Donald and Goofy stand with their weapons at the ready. Roren can't help but smile at them, just before he forces himself to focus on the heartless.

One of the wolves' charges at him, and Roren slips around beside it so that its jaws snap just next to his arm. He kicks the creature solidly on its head, and then quickly transitions into a downward slash. The strike cuts the heartless cleanly in two, causing it to explode into smoky darkness.

Another heartless comes up behind him, and one more rushes up by his side. He twists and drives his sword into the first, and then pulls it back to block a slicing attack from the second. Thunder snaps around them, shocking the wolf-creatures. The second reels back, and Roren moves in, striking it once, twice, and then a third time with his blade until it is destroyed.

The first heartless has recovered, and it swings its head in a large circle, cutting Roren's arm with the blade between its teeth. He ignores the cut, and spins to slash back at the monster.

Sora leaps up from by the side, and smacks the heartless with his Keyblade. He rolls through the darkness it vanished into, and comes up next to Roren.

Two more heartless jump in from either side of them, spinning their entire bodies as they fly through the air. Both boys duck and the creatures soar over their backs. Roren straightens quickly, his knife in his left hand, and his sword in the right. He lobes the knife at one of the wolfs, and it sticks deep in its shadowy skin.

Sora skips back, and blasts fire from his Keyblade, obliterating both heartless in an explosion of flames. Donald finishes off the last of the creatures, and as the small group watches, a glowing red heart floats up lazily into the sky.

Roren turns to the others, tucking his sword back into its sheath. He wipes his mouth, out of habit more than need, and smiles. "You aren't half bad, you know? Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"It's kind of a long story," Sora says. Donald and Goofy giggle quietly as Roren looks at them skeptically.

"Well, in any case," he shrugs. "We had better keep moving on. Right?"

They start walking again, following Roren over the scarred battleground toward the cold mountains on the horizon. No one says anything about resting, or taking a break, and at times the whole company would start running just because they wanted to move faster.

Even so, Roren insists that they walk. He says there will be no running unless Sora and Goofy were willing to take off their clunking shoes and have someone carry floppy-footed Donald for the next few miles. "Don't be too impulsive, now," he says when Sora keeps trying to take off.

"We're reaching the most dangerous area, out here. There will probably be Rommorans hunting around for survivors to torment, and we do not want to get captured by them. Trust me; these soldiers are far better fighters than those monsters back there."

From then on the group moves as quietly as they can, walking on the balls of their feet, and crouching low when they travel over the flatter or more exposed places.

Eventually, they come to a place where they can see the town. Sora starts to jump and holler, but Roren shushes him, and laughs at his enthusiasm.

"We have one last place to go though before we can relax, okay?" He looks around gravely, and then begins to lead again. "We'll have to be really careful through here. The…darkness is much thicker."


	3. Chapter 2

2

The view of the town is blocked by two great hills, and Roren grows more and more tense the closer he draws to them. He tells Sora that they would have to pass through a valley to get onto the main road into town, but the way he says it implies that it is much more than a valley to him.

"I don't exactly have great memories of the place," Roren explains. "I was assigned to a troop, five-hundred men strong, and sent through this valley to bring reinforcement to the soldiers on the plain. We were ambushed, right there…between those hills. We had to retreat, but we had already lost almost half our number."

Sora looks at him quietly, respecting the frustration and sadness that the young soldier must have felt.

Roren gazes down the sloping ground into the gorge, and crosses his arms. "Well, you can imagine the kind of dark emotions that were stirring down there on that day. Darkness means…"

"Heartless," Donald finishes. He steps up next to the boys, Goofy by his side and they all look into the valley.

"We're not afraid of any old heartless," Sora says confidently.

Roren smiles knowingly at him and turns his back to the gorge. "I'm sure it'll be no problem for you, strong as you are. But as for me, I'm going to do my best to avoid the monster. If you want to go find it, I'll just head on home. I'm sure you guys can go into town on your own."

Sora frowns, disappointedly, but nods his head. "You're probably right; we should go to town first." Then he grins and folds his hands behind his head. "I can beat the heartless any time."

"Impulsive…" Roren chuckles as he walks away and the others hurry to catch up to him.

A little ways away they find a worn foot path winding down the steep hill. Gravel and clods of dirt tumble down before them as they walk along it, but the path is wide enough for Sora and Roren to walk shoulder to shoulder. That's a good thing, since they still haven't decided who is leading.

The air is much colder in the valley, and the shadows deeper. Roren doesn't hesitate when they reach the bottom of the hill, and immediately starts heading for the opposite slope. The group is a little less than half way across the flat plain when they hear shouts in the distance, and they stop to listen.

"You have got to be kidding me," Roren mutters. "What is that stupid girl doing out here?"

He is glaring at something farther out on the field, and Sora looks in the same direction. He sees something moving far away, and guesses that it must be the girl Roren mentioned.

"She sounds afraid," he says. "She's…She's in trouble! It must be the heartless!"

Roren shrugs when Sora turns to him expectantly. "What? We have to go see, I guess."

They take off without another word, Sora sprinting ahead with Donald and Goofy at his heels. Roren runs with them at first, but with every step he feels a strange pain in his chest. He slows, hoping the knife-like prickling will fade, but it grows stronger. All at once he feels a snap somewhere inside him, and he crashes to his knees and passes out on the ground.

But, I can't let him rest for long. He swims in blackness for a few moments, barely long enough to wonder what happened, and then his eyes fly open again and he sits up with a jerk. His vision clears after a second, but what he sees now towering above him takes far longer for him to comprehend.

The heartless, born from the terror and guile of the battle fought in the valley, looms over the shadowy plain like a dark mountain. Its head is oblong and pointed, and in each clawed hands it clutches huge, wicked-looking swords. Countless spikes sprout from its deep blue skin, eerily complementing the long fangs that curve from its mouth.

Roren gapes at it, and his heart pounds cold blood into his head. He sees a flash of purple by the monster's giant foot, and realizes that the young woman is running toward him, her face crumpled with fear.

The heartless takes a sweeping step, and nearly crushes her with its foot. Roren pushes himself to his feet, and draws his sword, ready to fight, but not sure what to do.

"Hey, kid!" He yells for Sora. He spots the other boy, hacking away at one of the heartless's legs. Roren dashes toward the woman and hollers at Sora again, but still can't get his attention.

He gives up, and focuses on reaching the terrified bystander. She is standing completely still now, her feet frozen to the ground just as her eyes are frozen on the monster's horrible face. Roren puts himself between her and the heartless, and tries to distract her.

"Ma'am, look at me," he commands so sternly that she obeys. "I need you to calm down just a bit, alright?" She stares at him, but doesn't really see him. "Listen to me! I don't know what you're doing here, but you need to leave now! Turn your butt around and run! GO!!"

When she stands still, Roren shoves her and she starts running. Her steps are clumsy and she doesn't get far before she falls. She whimpers, but doesn't get up, so Roren grudgingly rushes over to help her. He has his hands under her arms, and is pulling her to her feet when he glances over his shoulder and sees the heatless drawing its arm back to strike at them.

He just spots Sora and Goofy scrambling around the creature's great foot trying to reach them, but they too far away to help. Donald is no where near them, and Roren doesn't have time to look for the little duck, because in that moment the giant heartless plunges its sword down on him.

He yanks the woman back, just out of the way of the blow, but the shock of the impact rocks the very ground and causes the air to explode around them. They smack into the ground, feeling rips and gashes on their bodies before the dust even settles.

Roren lifts his head weakly. Sora is screaming at him, but his ears are ringing and he can't hear the words. He pressed his hands into the dirt and forces himself to rise. Above him the heartless is preparing another attack, and it raises its foot and positions it over Roren and the woman, ready to smash them with one great stomp.

Roren sees the impending strike, and knows that he has mere seconds to do something to stop it, or die. Surprisingly, he closes his eyes and drops his bruised arms to his sides, letting his head sink to his chest. He plants his feet firmly apart, and begins to reach far back into his mind.

Through the darkness he finds some place that he had set apart. He breaks into it, unleashing a great power that makes his very bones hum. _More, more, _he tells himself. _I'll need more power than I've ever used before._ _No time to think, just take more!_

The heartless slams its foot down, but there is no crash, and the ground stays quiet. Roren holds the massive foot from underneath, and though the monster presses down on him, he does not falter. His power flows out around him in waves, and the pebbles by his boots tremble as a characteristic sign of the might of The Devastation.

Roren's mind burns with the effort of controlling the wild force, but he allows a little more to be released and it soars through him, giving him even more strength. He shifts the weight of the heartless's foot onto his left forearm, freeing his right hand. He winds back, pushing power into his palm, letting it build greater and greater. Finally he throws his arm up to smash into the heel of the monster, and the whole giant foot rockets away from him and straight into the air.

The heartless loses its balance as its leg comes up from under it, and it leans back, about to fall. Roren takes the opportunity, and jumps high into the air, soaring up until he is level with the creature's head. He spins and smacks a crushing kick to the side of its face, sending it toppling down to slam into the ground.

He falls on top of it, and drives himself right through the monster's chest until his feet touch the earth on the other side. Then he embeds his hands in the darkness around him, holding the heartless down.

"Alright now, kid!" He yells, his voice echoing with sheer power. "I'll keep it grounded! You smash its face in, and be quick about it!"

Sora shakes off his shock, and runs to the head of the struggling heartless. He jumps, flips and smacks it with his keyblade, twisting and throwing his legs over his head in a continual stream of pulverizing hits. The heartless tries to rise, but Roren slams it back down, holding it in place by pouring power into his arms.

_This is getting dangerous, _he thinks over the chaos in his head. _I've never used this much of The Devastation at once. I can feel it ripping me apart…that kid better hurry up, I can't maintain this!_

Finally, Sora leaps up directly over the forehead of the heartless. He flips to gain momentum, and then sinks his glowing Keyblade straight into its head. The monster jerks once, and then becomes as still as stone. It dissolves into a huge cloud of black smoke, wrapping around itself and twirling up into the sky.

A bright flash lights up the shadowy fog as the heart vanishes after the monster. The smoke clears and the valley is rapidly swallowed in deep silence.

Sora stands up, looking around. Roren is doubled over a few yards away, shaking like a small tree in a storm.

Sora goes to him, sliding around to reach his face. "Are you okay?" he asks. He has to repeat himself a few times before Roren even hears him, and even then it is almost a minute before he answers.

"It's just…after effects," he pants. He jolts up and vigorously shakes his arms and groans. "Argh! It burns! Whoo! That hurts! Meh…Look, don't worry…I'll be fine. Go…check on everyone else. Ow, ow, ow!"

Sora hesitantly leaves him, finding Goofy helping Donald stand up a little ways away. The little duck's head rolls around and his tongue hangs out the side of his bill. Goofy says Donald got smacked by the heartless sometime during the fight, but that he will probably be fine.

Lastly the trio all go to check on the young woman, and find her passed out on the ground. She is scrapped up, with a bad cut on her arm, but she is still alive. Roren comes over after a little while, limping like his skin is sun burnt.

"We've gotta take her to camp," he sighs. "The hospital in town is too far. Ah, man. The Captain is going to be so ticked at me for this. I bring back some girl and it's not even Kari. Not to mention what kind of impression you three will make."

Everyone looks at each other gravely, but suddenly Roren starts laughing. He lightly shoves Sora's shoulder. "You know what's so funny?" He wheezes. "I just realized…I completely forgot to ask you guys your names. Aw man, my head is so messed up, right now." And he laughs again, until everyone is laughing with him.


	4. Chapter 3

3

"Well Roren, what have you dragged in this time?"

Roren stands in the door of the medical house, holding the shoulders of the unconscious woman and smiling at everyone innocently. Sora has her feet, and behind him Goofy waits with a ruffled and dizzy-looking Donald.

"Sorry, Captain," Roren says. He tries to shrug, but almost drops the woman. "I guess stuff just happens to me, you know. I couldn't just leave her."

The man that Roren calls Captain is sitting on a small stool, his arms crossed and an expression of mild disapproval on his face. "You know, when I sent you out this morning I expected you to come back with Kari. However she returned on her own hours ago, so then I expected you to return empty handed. Once again, I have failed to predict your movements Mr. Agnellus."

Roren and Sora gently lay the woman on one of the cots, and moments later a nurse comes over to examine her. Goofy brings Donald to the nurse's attention, and after her initial shock of seeing a large duck with human characteristics fades, she agrees to examine him also.

The Captain sighs. "So, who are these people? They have got to be the strangest bunch of misfits I've seen in a while."

"Well, let me introduce them," Roren turns to the others and points at them each in turn, saying, "We have, Duck, Dog, and Do-gooder. Plus the annoying screaming woman there who was the one that got us into so much trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

Roren explains about the heartless, and is about to exclude the fact that he had to use The Devastation to destroy it, when Sora jumps in and spills the beans.

"Roren was amazing!" the boy says. "He pulverized that heartless with his bare hands!"

The Captain stares expressionlessly at his soldier, and though there is no anger in his gaze, the room is still heavy with tension. He stretches the stare out far into its awkward phase, but just as Roren starts to squirm, he stands up and gives an almost pleasant smile to Sora and Goofy.

"Excuse me, nurse," he says kindly to one of the women, "these two would probably like something to drink. Could you show them the way to the meal hall, please?" The nurse leads the other two off with a quiet smile.

Sora and Goofy each receive a mug of hot cider at the meal hall, and grab one extra to take back to Donald. Sora offers to take it to him, and is on his way back to the medical house when he overhears The Captain and Roren talking. He stops to listen, keeping just out of sight around the corner of a small tent.

"So, were you planning to tell me about this?" The Captain asks.

"Not while everyone was standing there," Roren answers softly. "Those other three, Sora, Donald and Goofy, they're really good guys, and I just didn't want to…you know."

The Captain is silent for a second, but when he speaks again, his voice is strong. "Are you trying to impress them? You can't go around showing off that power, Roren."

"I know that."

"The more you use it, the more your mind is torn up by it. Eventually you will lose control over it completely."

"I know that, too. I'm not stupid, Captain. I'm just…I was just…scared."

Sora bites his lip, and realizes that the hot cider in his hand is quickly becoming lukewarm cider. He is about to move on, but curiosity hinders him a few minutes more.

"It's only going to get worse," The Captain says. He doesn't sound angry, only a little worried. "Thane is coming after you. You still have time to get out, but that window is rapidly closing."

"If I hadn't used The Devastation today, I would have died." Roren counters. "That's the problem. What happens if I let it go, and then I need it?"

There is the sound of boots scuffling on the ground, as the two soldiers start to walk farther into the camp. Sora can just hear the Captain's words before he and Roren disappear into the meal hall.

"What you need," he says, "is to stop being so afraid. That is the greatest burden that you carry, at the moment. Unfortunately, it is also one of the hardest to let go of."

Sora returns to the meal hall, and finds Roren sitting with Goofy at one of the long wooden tables. Another girl is sitting with them, and when he walks over Roren tell him she is Kari, then one he had been looking for earlier.

They start eating lunch together (sandwiches made from some bird Sora has never heard of, topped with lettuce between lightly spiced, and slightly chewy, slices of bread.) Roren cracks jokes that make the whole hall ring with laughter, but he also spends long moments brooding over something quietly while everyone around him hollers and merrily carries on.

After a while he looks around and frowns. "Where's Elijah? I haven't seen him all day."

"I think he's eating on his cot today," Kari offers. She is helping Sora build a tower out of the plates and bowls on the table, and giggles when it falls apart.

"Again? Why does he keep doing that?"

"He just wants to be alone, that's all."

Roren puffs out his cheeks, exasperated. "I don't think it's healthy, how much time he spends by himself. Something must be wrong with him."

Kari turns to him with a mocking look and asks, "Do you think so? Gosh, I hadn't realized. Maybe it has something to do with his sister? Hm, what do you think?"

"I think you should stop trying to be funny." Roren snatches a plate from the base of the tower she and Sora were rebuilding, causing it to fall again.

"And I think that you need to leave him alone," Kari says and grabs the plate back. "He took it really hard when Kate died, and it hasn't been that long since it happened. Just give him some time."

Sora hesitates before jumping into the conversation. "Who was Kate?" He asks after a moment.

"Elijah's sister," Kari responds sadly. "She was killed a few months ago."

Sora looks at Roren, who is staring at a fork across the table, but the lost look in his eyes says that he doesn't really see it. "We all saw it happen," he mutters, and lifts his gaze to Sora's face. "I tried…you know, to save her but…"he sighs heavily. "There were so many of those thugs. It wasn't fair."

"Didn't you try using that power of yours?" Sora asks. "Like you did with the heartless?"

Kari glances at Roren, a little concerned. Roren shakes his head. "I did use it, but not enough. I didn't want it to get out of control."

Sora picks up the fork and rolls it in his palm. "So…if you had used more of the power, do you think you could have saved her?"

Roren's gaze slowly turns cold. "Maybe. I definitely could have taken out more of the enemies, that's for sure."

"So, why didn't you?"

Roren leans back from the table, glowering at Sora defensively. "If you're trying to tell me that it's my fault Kate died, then sorry, I already know that. I know there was more I could have done, but I didn't want to do it, so yes, it was my fault."

"Roren," Kari whispers and touches his shoulder. "It wasn't your-"

"Why do you think I hate it so much when that little prince sulks around here like he does?" Roren goes on, his voice growing louder. "When I see him like that, it really ticks me off. It reminds me of what I should have done. But I don't need some goody-two-shoes telling me that."

Sora squeezes the fork in his hand. "But you must have known it wasn't enough! You act like you had a good reason, but I don't see it! You should have been willing to do anything to save her, right? What kind of soldier won't even save some poor girl because he doesn't want to _kill _more people? Don't you do that all the time? Kill?!"

Roren reels back, bristling. "What? You think that's all we do? I didn't use more of The Devastation because I-"

"Because you were afraid," Sora finishes harshly.

Roren gapes at him, realizing that the other boy had been listening to his conversation with The Captain. "You think she died…because I'm a coward?" He hisses.

He shakes his head, and pushes himself up from the table. The whole room seems to be watching him and the strange boy who somehow made him angry. Roren moves his hand to his belt, and pulls out his knife.

Kari starts to stand. "What are you doing? Roren?"

He holds the knife and looks at it coolly. "Look at this, Sora. Take a good look at it. This…is a knife. I keep the blade sharp, and I have it with me always." He sticks the knife into the wooden table with one quick jerk, and everyone flinches. Roren then draws his sword and holds it out just like he did the knife, making sure Sora looks at before he sets it on the table. "That is a sword. It has a double-edged blade, and a point that I sharpen myself."

"And in the armory," he goes on, leaning in closer to the other boy. "We have daggers, arrows, quarter staffs, crossbows, cleavers, axes, spears and pikes. And you know what we use them for? Killing; because this is a war, and that's what happens. So, you're right, it's a horrible thing. But I've dedicated my life to this, because I have enemies and I have people to protect, and that is how I do it. At this point, nothing else works."

He straightens, and suddenly all his anger is gone. His shoulders slump, and his head hangs a little lower. "Don't get me wrong, it tears us up. Ask anybody here what it feels like to kill somebody. It really…really sucks. I _am_ scared to do it again, because it'll drive me crazy. I _am_ scared…you don't have to tell me. You don't….have to tell me."

Once he has finished talking, the silence in the hall suddenly feels oppressive. Roren slowly sits down again, moving like an old man. It is almost five minutes before conversation picks up at the other tables, and even then they are mere whispers.

Kari looks quietly at the pile of dishes that had once been a tower, while Sora stares at Roren, who stares at the blade of his sword still resting on the table. No one talks for a long time.

"I'm sorry," Sora says finally.

"Hey man, me too," Roren replies, a little of his normal hardiness returning. "I really shouldn't take it out on you but...Anyway, I'd be happy to take you guys into town to look for your friends, if you still want me to."

"Absolutely." Sora nods. Goofy nods too, grinning in a way that makes Roren chuckle softly.


	5. Chapter 4

4

Before they set out for the town, Roren, Sora and Goofy stop in to check up on Donald and the young woman at the medical house. As soon as Roren walks in the door there is a flurry of movement, as the woman jumps up from her bed and runs to throw herself on him.

Roren stumbles back, the girl clinging to his neck. They make such a ruckus that many of the nurses and patients turn to look at them.

"Gah! What are you doing?" Roren grunts and tries to pull the woman's arms off him. "Let go!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The woman cries. She holds on tighter and tears start to fall from her eyes.

"You're welcome, your welcome, your welcome, whatever! Will you just let go!"

The woman drops her arms and falls on her knees to the floor. She sobs openly as Roren looks uncomfortably at her, his face burning bright red. He glances back at Sora and Goofy; they're laughing at him, though they try to hide it.

He smiles at the other women in the room, trying not to look embarrassed. Their concerned stares send him directly to the floor to comfort the weeping girl.

"Hey, uh…what's, you know, wrong? What are you crying for?" He whispers in what he hopes is a compassionate voice.

The woman looks up at him with watery eyes. He forces himself not to jump back; Roren is not exactly adept at dealing with tears. "I'm just so grateful," she dribbles. "I know…it was you who saved me from that…m-monster. Oh! I was just so afraid."

"Well, you know what would be really great?" Roren coaxes. "It would be just…fantastic if you would stop crying. Please?"

She nods and wipes her face with her sleeve until Roren hands her the cloth in his pocket that he uses to clean his blades. When she blows her nose into it, he decides that he'll have to throw it away.

He helps the woman to stand up. One of the nurses walks over and taps his shoulder. "She just has a few cuts and scrapes; nothing serious. Feel free to take her home anytime."

"Wh-wait. I have to take her home? I don't even know her."

"Oh?" The nurse smiles and behind her the other women giggle. "I thought you two were…well, she certainly talked about you enough, Roren. She said you were the most wonderful, marvelous boy she had ever met. A true hero."

"But we know better!" One of the patients, a middle-aged soldier, shouts. Roren glares at him, but he only laughs. "Come on, Agnellus! Don't look so puckered, you just got yourself a girlfriend!"

Roren leaves the medical house before anyone can see just how red his face has become. He strides out into the camp, not stopping until he is lost among the countless tents grouped together on the resting grounds.

He takes several deep breaths, and has nearly calmed himself when he hears someone calling his name from somewhere in the maze of tents. It's the girl again.

"Roren! Where are you?! Please don't leave me!" She cries desperately. "Roren!"

He scowls, and starts to run for the training field, but stops. It dawns on him that if that woman runs around camp, screaming her devotions for him for everyone to hear, the other soldiers will never let him live it down. He can already imagine their taunts as he turns around and sprints toward her voice.

The girl is just rounding the corner of a tent, and sees a group of soldiers sitting outside, eating and sharing jokes. She walks right up to them, ignoring their surprised expressions, and makes herself known.

"Hello gentlemen," she says sweetly. "I'm looking for Roren, have you seen him?"

"Agnellus?" One shaggy-looking man says and grins. "Well, I'll be! I never thought that boy would be one to keep lady-folk around. I guess he's got all manner of secrets!"

"He's growing up to be a real man!" Another hoots.

"Roren is a wonderful young man," says the girl. "He saved my life today. He's so brave, and kind, and-"

As the men watch her with bright eyes and mocking smiles, waiting for her to go on, Roren rushes out from between two near-by tents and tackles the girl, cutting off her words as he jumps on her. They fall to the ground, and she squeaks in surprise. Before she can open her mouth again he clamps both of his hands over it, muffling the sound of her voice.

"Shut up, shut up!" he almost yells at her. Behind him the other soldiers explode with wild laughter, their mouths wide and their faces red with enjoyment. Moments later Sora, Donald and Goofy appear, and start to laugh when they see a flustered Roren holding the young woman down on the ground.

Roren quickly gets up, dragging the girl with him. "We are taking you home, _now._" He clutches her arm and turns to Sora and the others. "You three, come with me. We're leaving."

They all walk away, running to keep up with Roren's quick steps. As they amble through the tents they can still hear the hooting and shouting from the soldiers echoing through the camp.


	6. Chapter 5

5

The town is a busy place, full of people who are coming and going, buying and selling, and talking and shouting. All the houses have multiple floors, some of them with entrances below the street, or up thick flights of stairs. Everything from the walls of the buildings to the cobbles on the streets has a faint golden hue that gives off a cheery atmosphere.

Roren leads the small group through the market, the young woman clinging to his arm and walking with her head down. Sora, Donald and Goofy sweep their eyes around in every direction, taking in the arches, bridges and shops all around them.

They reach a quieter place by a great fountain, and there Roren explains that the best place for Sora to look for his friends would be at Verbin Hill, the literal center of the town.

"Anyone who lives anywhere near here will have entered the main square at least once. Find this guy named Marvin, he runs the gates and he is probably the largest dealer of information on the southern border. If your friends are here, he'll know about it. Just tell him I sent you, he owes me a favor still. I think."

"What are you going to do?" Sora asks.

"I'm taking our lady friend home. I can't have her skipping around camp making a fool of herself."

Sora looks at the woman, who has her eyes focused on the ground. She grips Roren's arm tighter and looks like she is about to cry again.

"Did you even ask what her name is?" he demands of Roren.

Roren blinks, and looks to the side guiltily. "I forgot."

"You forgot to ask us before too," Donald rasps.

Roren turns to the girl and holds out his hand. "I'm Roren, but you know that. What's your name?"

She looks at him, suddenly happy. She grasps his hand and enthusiastically shakes it. "My name…is Kate."

"Oh…w-well, that's a very nice name."

The group splits up, Sora, Donald and Goofy heading south into the main square. Kate hesitantly tells Roren that she lives on Rulis Street, by the bakery, and they begin walking in that direction.

"Rulis Street?" Roren wonders. "I don't get to go there often. It's over there on the wealthy side of town. Do you really live there?"

"Yes, with my father and brothers."

"That's weird. What was a nice, rich girl like you doing out on the battlefield? Didn't you know it is dangerous out there?"

Kate doesn't answer. After a moment she smiles and looks at his face. "Do you really think I'm nice?"

"Did I say that?" Roren laughs, and shrugs. "You're not too bad, for a rich girl. Of course, Kari is probably richer than you, and she can be a real slave driver sometimes."

"You're other friends, do you like them?"

"You mean Sora, Donald and Goofy? Yeah, I like them a lot. Sora gets on my nerves a little, but he's a good guy. Say, why don't you go cling to his arm?"

He expects her to laugh, but she gloomily releases his arm and walks quietly with him. He swallows awkwardly.

"If they were in trouble, would you protect them?" She questions softly.

"Uh…I guess so. I wouldn't want them to get hurt, if that's what you mean." Roren responds, thinking the question is a little strange. _What's with this girl?_ He thinks to himself. _Talk about mood swings._

Kate smiles happily back at him. "I knew it. That's just how you are. You and Sora, you two are really alike. He's just more open than you are."

"Huh, Sure," Roren grunts.

They reach a bridge that stretches over a wide river that winds through the town. On the other side the houses along the street are more graceful, and larger than the normal homes. The two start walking along the bridge, but halfway across Kate pauses to look into the water.

Roren goes to stand with her, but doesn't look over the bridge. Instead he watches the people passing by with their bundles and bags.

"I really am grateful," Kate says. "The last few days have been pretty terrifying for me…I was sure that I wasn't going to be alive at the end of the week."

Roren frowns at her. "Why did you think that? Was someone after you?"

She thinks for a moment, considering her words. "My father…has secrets," she finally explains. "I didn't go to the valley on my own. I was left there; I guess they thought that monster would get rid of me."

"Oops. Whoever they are, I guess I went and screwed with their plans. ."

"Yes, you did. I was in the main square a few nights ago, trying to run away, you see. I knew they would catch me soon, and I was so scared. But then, someone came up to me and told me not to be afraid." Kate tilts her head thoughtfully, still looking at the water. "This stranger, well, he said that Sora was on his way, and that someone would come to save me. I thought it would be Sora, but it was…you."

Roren sighs. "Sorry. I'm almost sure that Sora would have been better. I enjoy self-pity way too much."

Kate giggles. "But you make people laugh!"

"People will laugh at anything if you say it right, especially if they're drunk. Then it gets fun."

Kate opens her mouth to say something, but her words are drowned out by a crash from somewhere behind them. Screams pierce the normal mumbling babble of the town, and seconds later a roaring boom rolls over the ground, shaking the very buildings.

"What was that?" A woman on the bridge close to Roren and Kate hollers.

"It came from the square!" Kate says.

Roren stares in the direction of the crash, already feeling a light pinching in his chest. "The heartless?" He whispers. "I thought we-"

Another boom rockets through the town, bouncing off the walls of the crowded buildings and pulsing through the cobbled streets. Roren turns to Kate, grasping her shoulders.

"Stay here, I'll be right back!" He commands.

"What? Roren…"

"You know, I'm not really sure if I will be back, so you go find some really good place to hide!" He lets her go and starts to run to the square.

Already he can feel the same prickling in his chest that knocked him out before. He dashes around fleeing people; some of them see his military uniform and franticly grab at him for protection. Every step closer to the square intensifies the pain, but Roren refuses to acknowledge it.

He knows it would be disastrous for him to use The Devastation again with so many people around. He considers his options, and hopes that Sora, Donald and Goofy are alright. He begins to work out a plan, and has almost reached the square when he feels a shock by his heart, and all control leaves his limbs. He hurtles into a food stand, and can feel his mind shutting down.

Once again, a crash rings out in the square, and Roren can hear more people screaming. He forces himself to stay conscience, and pushes himself away from the food cart. He stumbles down the street and enters the square, and immediately has to dodge a huge falling sword the size of one of the buildings.

Roren rolls out of the way, pain throbbing in his chest. He casts the thought of it far out of his mind, and rushes to hide behind a stack of crates. He looks up at the heartless, and his mind jerks with amazement.

This monster is similar to the one he fought earlier, but even larger and even more horrible looking. Its head has fewer features, only a mouth lined with hundreds of teeth layered haphazardly on top of each other, and two small black eyes. Its limbs are distorted and twisted, and all over its body curved spikes stick out like enormous thorns. The twin swords it carries steam with dark vapor, and burn the very air.

Roren watches the heartless swing its mighty weapon down along the ground, and out of the corner of his eye he sees Sora charge up to it. He leaps onto the sword and springs up to strike the creature's hand. He gets in a few hits before he jumps off again and tumbles to the ground.

"Sora!" Roren calls and the boy looks over at him. "I thought we destroyed that thing!"

"It came back!" He answers, and quickly moves to Roren's hiding spot. "You alright? You look terrible."

"I'm Fine. Look, we gotta stop this thing before it destroys the whole square. But, I don't know if I can…help you."

"Where's Kate?"

"She's safe, as long as she doesn't come after me."

Goofy flings his shield and it spins and smacks into the monster's leg. Close to him, Donald lifts his wand and showers ice down on the heartless, but their attacks don't seem to have any effect. The creature roars, and any people left in the square run to escape faster.

"Destroy that thing, Sora," Roren says. "And be quick about it, alright?"

"Will you be okay?"

"Quit acting like you care so much, it makes me sick," he laughs grimly. "Just go, I'll catch up!"

Sora looks at him, frowning. Then he nods curtly and leaves him, running off to attack the giant.

The pain is constant now, and every few seconds Roren feels a twist, or a pull on his heart that nearly makes him faint, but he stays awake and waits for an opportunity to strike.

Sora, Donald and Goofy fight for some time but nothing they do even slows the heartless down. All of their attacks bounce back, and even their strongest hits leave less than a scratch on the monster's skin. Finally Sora manages to climb high enough to reach the giant, horrible head of the creature, and he begins to strike at it furiously.

The heartless twists abruptly, and Sora loses his footing. He leaps to the side, hitting the heartless a few more times before gravity pulls him out of reach. The creature roars again, and opens its mouth wide. Suddenly, great black bullets shoot from the darkness behind its teeth, and drive into Sora so hard that he flies straight backward. He slams into a cart full of carefully placed jewelry, breaking it and sending the ornaments flying up around him.

The monster prepares to drive one of its gaint swords down on him, but Sora doesn't move. He lies on the crumpled cart with his head hanging down limply, and his grip on his keyblade completely slack. The dooming blade comes down, but he is not awake to move out of the way of the falling strike.

Roren stumbles out from behind the crates, his knife in his hand. He stops, just long enough to hurl the knife at the monster with all his strength, and then he is off running again. He doesn't even watch the small knife drive deep into the chest of the monster, but focuses on reaching his helpless friend.

_If they were in trouble, would you protect them?_ Kate's words come back to him.

_Of course! That's what I should have said. _He thinks franticly. His chest is racked with pain, and it slows his pace, but he still presses on. _That's what she wanted to hear. Of course I would, who do you think I am?_

The heartless draws back again, furious from the knife stuck inside of it. Roren kneels by Sora and shakes him. His eyes open a bit, and he groans.

"Get up!" Roren screams and pulls on him. The heartless releases more bullets that fly down on them, and but Sora is still unable to stand. Roren summons strength to move him, when he feels a terrible break inside him, more powerful than before, and his mind instantly blacks out. He falls like a rock to the ground, and both he and Sora are completely helpless before the darkness.


	7. Chapter 6

6

Even in the darkness Roren can feel the pain. It goes on, and threatens to overwhelm him. Everything around is still and quiet. For a long time he dwells in this silent place where his mind is stagnant and his eyes can see nothing. He almost relishes it, because a good resting place is hard to find.

But, it is not all that restful. The only thing he can feel is that pain, and the first thought to break the emptiness is one of anger. How frustrating it is to be helpless. In this place the emotion swells far faster than in the world of the sun. As it rolls around the endless space it quickly turns to fear, and then to anguish, for every feeling seems to summon more pain.

Suddenly, Roren feels a drop hit his face. Something wet gently smacks onto his forehead at an odd angle, and all his attention is drawn to it. It lingers there while he tries to remember how to decide. Finally, he opens his eyes.

The light that meets him is dull. The sun is setting, as it always does and always will. It strikes him as humbling that such a vital element would follow its course forever, even if the earth should be falling into ruin. I guess deep thoughts come when the mind has had a rest.

He abruptly notices a figure hovering over him. It is Kate, her face gaunt and her cheeks wet with tears. It was a tear that had hit his face, he realizes.

"Kate?" He says softly.

"Roren!" She sobs. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"I am? What happened?"

Kate edges back as he sits up. The pain twists in his chest, and he grimaces. He looks around uncertainly, and sees Sora lying just by him, his head and shoulders on Roren's lap.

The memories come back to him all at once. "The heartless! It was here, and they were fighting it…but nothing would work. It…Sora…and I… You!" He snaps his head around to look at her face angrily. "I thought I told you to find a good place to hide. Why aren't you hiding?"

"Because you said you would not be coming back. I was worried," she says.

"I said _probably_. And would you please stop crying? What happened to that heartless? It was attacking us when I…passed out."

Kate helps Roren lift Sora and settle him on the ground close to them. "I saw you fall," she goes on, ignoring his question. "Then that monster tried to attack you, so I ran over and got in the way."

"You didn't! Really?!"

She laughs hoarsely, and Roren suddenly understands why she looks so ill. The bullets had knocked poor Sora out completely. "You protected us," he says. "You didn't have to-"

"Of course I did!" She interrupts. "I wasn't going to just watch you two get hurt. I may cry a lot, but I would never stand by while my friends are in danger. You guys, you're really important to me."

Roren smiles at her. "Then, thank you. Really. But, where did the heartless go?"

"It vanished. Right after I saved your life."

"Come on now," he chuckles. "Don't rub it in."

She smiles again, and Roren tries to relax. The pain is still there, as strong as ever. He knows the heartless is close, but what he doesn't know what it will do next. If only he did, he may be able to take some kind of action. I can't tell him, though I want to. This is where events in his future begin to take shape, and there are only moments left before the next adventure will begin. It will be a long time until he can join in, but most adventures have their starts farther back than we realize.

The sun has not completely set, but all at once the shadows around the three companions grow, and the golden hue of the buildings fades, as if the bright star has blacked out. A great lake of swirling darkness appears in the center of the square, and out of it rise swirling tendrils of black steam.

Roren watches apprehensively, and reaches for his knife but it is no longer tucked into his belt. He turns to Kate, to warn her, but the words die on his lips as a terrible roaring sound rocks the entire square.

The heartless pulls itself slowly out of the darkness, rising like a huge, uncontrollable wave on the ocean. It is now a giant made of pure shadow; the swords are gone, and all of the creature's features have melted into one dark, horrible mass. It looms higher and higher in the sky, dwarfing the very buildings. From its feat endless waves of darkness pulse out over the cobbles, just touching Roren's feet, making him shudder.

The heartless moves one of its arms, and twists its awful head to look down at Roren. Instantly he is shot with pain so intense he thinks his heart will be torn by it. It seems to skip toward to monster, and it takes all of the energy Roren has to just stay awake.

Kate grabs Roren's arm, and franticly tires to pull him away. The heartless lifts its hand toward them and, as they struggle to hide, its fingers spread into dozens of winding strands. The dark ropes quickly stretch out and reach for Roren where he sits weakly on the ground. They fly down like black bolts of lightning, twisting and snapping in the air.

Roren barley has time to scream when his vision of the heartless is blocked. Kate moves quickly in front of him at the last second, and shields him from the flying black cords. They swiftly wrap around her, and immediately pull her back toward the wide pool of darkness before either of them can even blink.

At once Roren reaches out and catches her hand. He tries to pull her back to him, but once again the pain in his chest makes him nearly faint. His grip slacks, and he can hardly hold onto Kate's arm.

"I've got you!" He shouts. "I won't let go! Hold on!"

"Roren, Sora!" Kate yells back.

He glances back just in time to see more of the heartless's fingers wrapping around the unconscious boy. Roren desperately reaches out and snags Sora's arm as he is pulled away, grabbing him just in time. Now his strength is split between saving each of his friends, and fighting with the pain inside of him. Even as he pulls back on Kate and Sora he knows that his grip is weakening.

"I can't…hold on!" He cries. "You have to help me!"

Kate works one hand free from the cords and clutches Roren's wrist, but her hand is weak. She looks at him with eyes full of sadness, as he screams at her to hold on tighter. Roren is dizzy from the throbbing pain inside him, and he has to concentrate with his whole mind just to keep his hands clasped around Kate and Sora's arms.

The heartless screeches again, and yanks its hands back forcefully. It is more than Roren can take, and in one moment both of his friends are ripped from his hands. He stumbles forward, trying to catch them again, but his legs fail him and he falls to the ground, completely exhausted.

He watches them as they are dragged away. He sees Sora, who is normally so strong and cherry, now motionless and vulnerable to the darkness. Kate seems more sad than afraid, and as she is pulled away she mouths "thank you" to him. The sight all but breaks his heart.

Roren screams as loud as he can, a sound loaded with desperation. Without another thought, he begins to wildly tear through his mind, searching for that seperate place buried in the dark. He starts to rip down the gates that withhold the terrible power of The Devastation, ready to abandon himself to the force for the sake of his friends.

_I won't hold back again,_ his mind cries. _I won't lose them because I was afraid to give everything. I give it all, I take it all. Nothing will be left, Sora. I'll do _**everything** _that I can this time!_

Something does break open inside him, but the power that is released is not The Devastation. Something older, deeper and a thousand times greater is unleashed, not from his mind, but from his whole being.

Roren leans back on his knees, his hands still open and slightly outstretched but now relaxed. His face washes blank, and his skin flashes with a blinding white light that quickly grows brighter and more dazzling. Pulses of vast energy roll out around him, carrying an absolutely heart stopping amount of emotion to every corner of the square.

Sorrow, profound and immeasurable, engulfs the market. It is a sadness drawn from the first breaking of the world up through the running years, born from the morning of billions of hearts. It is deep, and endless, but not miserable. It is uncorrupted, and utterly pure.

As the waves of light flow out relentlessly from around him, Roren can do little more than stare out at the vivid light. His eyes are locked on something too far away to see and ceaseless streams of tears pour down his face and drop onto his hands. The rivers of sorrow run straight through his heart and out into the square, traveling with the waves of light.

The light sears the darkness of the heartless, quelling its power and crushing it under the force of a true and unmatchable sadness. It is felt by everyone in the town; every person has stopped, all their fear removed and replaced with the tragic emotion.

The light swells up, filling the sky and banishing every shadow. A single, clear note can be heard above the rushing below, and suddenly another feeling can be sensed. A small, but equally as powerful amount of joy is alive in the midst of the sadness. It rings out, and reverberates in the walls of light, adding even greater beauty to the radiance.

The darkness is long gone, thrown away as far out as it could go. And yet the light goes on, and continues on until Roren is completely emptied. Once more his tear soaked eyes close, and he falls into a temporary slumber, but now the pain is gone, and all there is to see is light.


	8. Chapter 7

7

Roren's eyes had been open for several minutes, but it takes a while longer for him to actually see out from them. Once his tired mind manages to focus, he can see the empty square, Donald and Goofy standing close to him, and in the distance small groups of people milling around curiously.

There is no sign of the heartless, and even the pain it brought is gone. Kate is not in the square. Roren cannot find her, nor can he locate Sora. Just as he is about to lose himself to hysterical worry, he hears a sniffling sound nearby. He bends his neck to look down, and for the first time notices that Sora is crouched close to his side, squeezing Roren's hand and quietly sobbing.

Roren blinks slowly, like a cat about to fall asleep. "Sora, what are you doing?"

Sora's head snaps up, and when he sees that the young soldier's face is no longer as blank as a stone wall he jumps up and hugs him. "Hey! You're alright! Donald! Goofy! Look, Roren's awake!"

"Hey, hey," Roren mutters. He tries to keep his balance as the trio smothers him with hugs. "Man, who told all you people that it was okay to cry on me? This is ridiculous, stop it!"

They all laugh as they gingerly help Roren up to his feet. They dust each other off with soft pats, and then turn to look at the people who are slowly approaching them.

"What was that monster?" Some of them ask. "Did you destroy it?" others wonder. Even more cheerily smack Roren, Sora, Donald or Goofy on the back and say "nice going, boys," or "that's why you don't mess with our military!"

The crowd gets larger by the minute, but though he searches every face, Roren cannot find Kate among the cheering and smiling people. His worry is mounting, and he eventually forces his way out of the growing mass of civilians, feeling crowded by all the attention. While the public are occupied with Sora and the others, Roren looks around for any sign of Kate.

All evidence of the heartless is gone. The dark pool, the swords, even the shadows have vanished. Roren wonders anxiously what could have befallen the girl who had protected him twice in one day, but is hopes that she is alright are quickly dying. He hears the crowd calling him back, and he is just about to return when he spots two bright objects glittering on the dusty cobbles.

A pretty necklace, with a silver cord tied to a fat, round pendent lies near the center of the square. Next to it rests Roren's knife. He picks up the necklace and examines it, watching the pendent flash beautifully in the light of the setting sun. He wonders if it belonged to Kate; it certainly looks expensive enough to be the jewelry of a wealthy girl.

People have walked over to bring him back to the celebration. They pat his shoulders and try to lead him, but he waves them off for a moment. He strolls over to a pile of wooden blocks by a food stand, and selects a smooth-sided square. While the curious spectators watch, Roren carefully carves Kate's name into the wood with his knife, making sure that the cuts are neat and deep.

Everyone is quiet, watching Roren return to the place he found the necklace. He takes the knife again, and then sticks it into the upper side of the block of wood. Gently he puts it down, and drapes the necklace over the cross guard. The pendent hangs down against the blade, and both shine elegantly even in the fading light.

Roren kneels by the memorial for a moment. Only a small part of him has accepted that Kate may be gone, and as he gazes at the small necklace he hopes that that part is wrong. He looks around a final time, seeing the eager smiles of his friends, and the happy faces of the crowd, but none of them are the face that he wants to see.

He sighs and stands slowly. As the cheering public leads him away with Sora and the others, Roren cannot help but feel even more weighted than when the day began.

___

Back at the camp Roren shows Sora, Donald and Goofy the tents they can sleep in, should they decide to stay.

"Well, we still need to look for Kairi and Riku," Sora says, and glances at his two companions. They both shrug, and he looks back at Roren. "We should probably go."

"Probably," says Roren. "I'm sure you three have plenty of other people to see, worlds to save, heartless to destroy. I won't stop you if you really want to leave."

Sora gazes at the other boy thoughtfully. Then he crosses his arms behind his head and leans back leisurely, a sly smile turning up a corner of his mouth. "Actually, I'm pretty beat. I don't see why we have to leave right away. I could use a little vacation."

Roren instantly perks up, though his expression hardly changes. "You won't be getting any vacation here," he laughs softly. "But I could use the company, even though you guys are a little strange."

Goofy and Donald snicker, but Roren only sighs absently. His dark eyes are tinted red around the edges, and his slumped posture reflects his weariness.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Goofy drawls. "You sure look tired; maybe you should go to bed."

"Good idea. I'll get you guys some blankets and lamps before I hit the sack though."

"I'll help," Sora offers and follows Roren to the supply shed.

Roren piles several heavy blankets into Sora's arms, and then selects a few oil lamps from the shelves. Sora watches him fill each lamp with a bit of oil from a small dish. He flinches when the Roren's fingers slip clumsily and he drops one of the lamps.

"You really are tired," Sora comments good-humoredly.

Roren doesn't answer right away. He sets the oil lamp back on the shelf and stares at it with that familiar lost look in his eyes. "What do you think happened to Kate?" He finally whispers.

"What do you mean? She went home, right?"

"I forgot that you were passed out. No, she followed me into the square. The heartless was dragging you both away when I…well, I don't know what that was," Roren sighs again and slightly shakes his head. "She wasn't there afterward. I couldn't find her in the crowd."

Now Sora is quiet. He fixes his eyes on the ground and shifts the blankets under his arms. "If she really is gone, you shouldn't think that it's your fault," he says kindly. "I know that you did your best, but sometimes..." He sighs, looking up as if the right words are hovering in the air above him. " Somethimes the darkness is just too much. My whole world was destroyed by it."

"I shouldn't be that way. I always thought that light would never lose to darkness, I thought it was impossible."

"But light didn't lose!" Sora says. "I don't know what that power you used was, but its light was way stronger than the darkness. That heartless didn't stand a chance! I guess the problem is that light doesn't always destroy the dark. It can…but sometimes it chooses not to."

Roren frowns scornfully at the lamp. He considers the tiny wick, and thinks of the little candle flame shining in the night. "The problem is people," he muses. "You told me that we create the heartless from our own hearts. In that case, we also create darkness. _We_ are the ones who chose. Dark or light, it's up to us for the most part. Sometimes innocent people just get in the middle of our choices, even if they have absolutely nothing to do with it. I guess that's what happened to Kate."

"Something like that…I think," Sora laughs quietly.

Roren smiles at him and picks up the lamps. "Now the only thing we can do is choose what to make of all this. What will we do next?"

"How about we take this stuff to the tents? My arms are getting tired."

"Okay," Roren laughs a clear, signature Roren laugh. "Maybe we'll get to sleep in tomorrow, if we're lucky."

"You think so?"

"Nah."

They return to the tents and distribute the supplies. Everyone retires to their beds, but Roren stays up to write a quick summary of the day's events for his training reports. Even after he has finished jotting down his notes, he doesn't go to sleep. Instead he goes back outside and looks up into the clear night sky, watching the bright white stars in their constant battle with the darkness around them until the sun rises again, banishing all the shadows with its blinding light.

___

Sora, Donald and Goofy had only planned to stay in Roren's world for a few days, but by the end of the week Roren's mood had kept them far longer than they expected. The soldier seemed genuinely interested in spending time with them, but whether they were sparring on the training grounds, eating at the meal hall, or completing a trainee assignment in town, something always seemed off about him.

He still made jokes, kept a cheery smile on his face, and laughed with everyone like he always did, but all of his high spirits seemed a little forced. His team members noticed it, and they would talk quietly about him when he wasn't around. Even the Captain was a little worried, and he said that he thought Roren had been acting strange ever since the battle in town.

At first Sora thought it was because of Kate, but he began to doubt that explanation when Roren stopped talking about her. Though he would likely never truly forget about the emotional young woman, Kate slowly became little more than a sad thought in the back of his mind as the weeks went on. Eventually Sora became convinced that something else was wrong with Roren, something that the young soldier could not simply overcome with time.

When Roren started passing out for minutes, or even hours at a time, Sora and the others became even more concerned. When he tried to explain how he felt, his words often trailed off into silence, and he would stare at some object in the room for a while.

"I'm just sad," he said once after he and Sora had finished a half-hearted sparring session. "I don't know what for, but I just feel upset all the time. It's really strange. I wish it would go away so I could get on with my life."

Sora had no explanation, and he did his best to try and awaken Roren's normal cheerfulness, but even though Roren was trying just as hard as everyone else, nothing seemed to bring him back to his old self.

Time went on, and soon Donald and Goofy were ready to give up and leave. Sora admitted that they were spending far too much time in one place, but he wasn't comfortable leaving when Roren still needed help. It was almost three weeks later when the answer to Roren's strange mood finally came, but it was in a form that no one had expected.


	9. Chapter 8

8

"I do not know if I can do this."

Two strangers stand outside of the camp, one a young girl, thin with dark eyes, and the other a giant rat with huge, animated features. The rat tries to encourage the girl, and holds her small hand kindly. His voice, because strangely enough he does have a voice, is high and bouncy.

"It's okay Halvi," he says. Two white gloved hands wave enthusiastically in the air as he speaks. "I'm sure it'll be fine to talk with them for a little while. Besides, I need your help to explain everything."

Traces of uncertainty still show on the girl's face when she nods. "Alright, as long as we do not stay too long."

"It's a promise."

The large rat makes a bubbly squeaking sound that must be a laugh, and the girl smiles at him. She starts to walk away, heading into the camp alone.

"I'll be right behind you," the rat calls. "Ha ha, don't mention me 'til later; I want it to be a surprise!"

___

Roren is lying on his bunk, the place he has spent much his time over the last few days. He is afraid to get up, mostly because he knows that as soon as he does he'll pass out and fall right back down again. The dizzy feeling fades after a while, but he still chooses not to move. Lately, he hasn't felt like doing much else but lie around.

Sora comes in. He shows up frequently, having taken it upon himself to entertain Roren while the gloomy mood still holds him down.

"The Captain told you to ignore me," Roren mutters. He wishes he could think of kinder things to say, but every thought he has seems to be infected with dreariness.

Sora doesn't let on if he is offended. "Well, he's out in town," he says and sits on a cot opposite his friend. "Everyone is going out for the party. Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

Sora isn't surprised. "Still can't move?"

"Don't want to. But…I do. You know, it's just weird."

He sighs glumly and lets one arm dangle over the side of his bed. Sora falls back on his cot and stares up at the cabin ceiling. The clock on the far wall counts out the silent minutes between them with sharp, constant clicks.

Just when the memorizing ticks threaten to pull both boys into a sleepy eternity, Donald barges into the small cabin, making enough noise to make even Roren to sit up. The little duck charges through the door, squawking something so quickly that no one can understand what he is saying.

"What? Hold up, Donald," Sora grabs him to get his attention. "What's the matter?"

"A girl!"

"What girl? Kari?"

Donald struggles angrily out of Sora's hands. He brushes himself off once his feet touch the floor, and then sets his winged hands on his round hips. "No, a different girl. She says she wants to talk to us. We've been looking for you everywhere."

"Where is she?"

"Here," a sweet voice signals the entrance of an even sweater looking girl. She pauses just inside the cabin door and leans over to look at Roren and Sora around the edge of the bed frames. The boys both look back at her. Roren shows as much surprise as he can, though the abrupt emotion is quickly smothered, and he reverts back to subtle apathy.

"Hello, uhh.." Sora starts to say, but the girl stops him with a wave.

"I am Halvi. It is nice to meet you."

Sora introduces himself and Donald, and then he points out Roren when the other boy remains silent. Goofy strolls in a moment later, glad to have found the improvised meeting place in time.

Halvi shifts her weight uncomfortably, but then she quickly recovers her smile. "I have wanted to meet all of you for a while now. It is a true honor to finally get the chance."

Goofy giggles abashedly, so Donald pushes him. "You have to be polite, Goofy! No laughing!"

Sora continues on, unaffected. "It's nice to meet you too, Halvi. How do you know about us?"

She shrugs. "Let us just say that you all knew someone who was very close to me. Also, you are all very popular. You are…how do they say it? The talk of the town."

"Well, we do what we can," Sora boasts.

"I am sure you all are very good fighters, but the real reason that I am here is not to talk about the heartless you defeated." Halvi folds her hands together and holds them close to her, almost protectively. "I need to talk to you about the way Roren has been feeling as of late. I am certain that I can be of some help to him."

Roren gazes back at her as if these words mean nothing to him. She looks away, turning her eyes to the floor as he stares at her, and he immediately feels ashamed. _She's touchy. Wonder what her story is._

Sora watches the exchange shrewdly, trying to pull clues from it. "So you know what's wrong with Roren? Can you make him better?"

"No, I am afriad that I cannot." When everyone's heads droop she hastily continues, "But I need to explain. Please, follow me. There is someone else who needs to speak with you."

Halvi guides the group out of the cabin, and directs them to the courtyard where the officers in the army have their quarters. A sprightly fountain flows in the center, surrounded by several decorated benches that were gifts from the local citizens.

Sitting on one of the benches is the large rat. He wears a jovial smile and odd clothing similar to Sora, Donald and Goofy's bright outfits. When the trio sees him they are absolutely dumbstruck.

"The king!" Donald shouts.

Sora's mouth falls open. "Really?! That's him?"

Donald and Goofy rush over to the rat with happy grins. Halvi watches the three distantly, waiting for Roren to catch up. It took a great deal of effort for him to even get out of bed, and he dragged his feet the whole way from the cabin to the courtyard. She watches him walk up sluggishly, but soon drops her gaze as if it hurts her to look at him.

The King eventually calms his excited subjects, and beacons to Halvi and Roren. They move up slowly, but pass though the introductions hurriedly. The regal rat throws a concerned glance at Halvi, but she appears composed.

"Well, fellas we have got a lot of explaining to do, and not a lot of time to do it," he says. Everyone settles in, either sitting or standing in a clustered half-circle around The King.

"Halvi said she knew what's been bugging Roren, but that we needed to talk to you," Sora mentions. "She said that she can't help him, though."

The King nods. "That's because you're the one who has to help him, Sora."

"Me? What can I do?"

"The feelings that Roren has been experiencing are not ones that he can control," Halvi explains. "It is not his fault that he is acting this way. It is simply a product of The Noble Heart."

Sora passes a questioning look at Donald and Goofy, but they are just as clueless as he is. "What's The Noble Heart?"

The King goes on when Halvi is silent. "That's what we're here to tell ya. The Noble Heart is a great force for light, one that is very rare and unique. It is a power that chooses its bearer based on the quality of their heart. Just like how the keyblade chose you Sora, because your heart is so full of light."

Sora almost blushes, and Donald nudges him. Roren watches them, looking remote and uninterested in the conversation.

Now Halvi picks up the explanation. "When Roren destroyed the heartless a few weeks ago, he used the power of The Noble Heart to do it. No darkness can withstand such a force, as I am sure you saw."

"Yeah, I've never seen so much light," says Sora. "I thought I was going to go blind!"

"Yes, but the power of The Noble Heart is not just in light. Did you notice anything else about it?"

Sora crosses his arms to think. Halvi and The King wait patiently as he tries to return to those hectic moments in the square. "I remember feeling _something_. I think that I felt sad, but I can't really put my finger on it, exactly. It was more like…"

"Sorrow," Roren speaks up for the first time. Everyone looks at him, but he says no more.

"That's right. Sorrow is the true power of The Noble Heart. There is no other force quite like it," says The King. He smiles at Roren, but the boy already has the distant look in his eyes again.

"Sorrow? That seems a little strange, if you ask me,"Goofy puts in." How can sadness create so much light?"

The King glances at Halvi, and she nods. "The Noble Heart gains strength from tragedy, and it chose Roren because of the way he responds to misfortune. If I am correct, he probably tries to take what _inspiration_ he can from disaster, using his pity and concern for others to build his determination. He uses the sorrow he feels to create a desire to work for the good of others. That is just the kind of attitude that makes The Noble Heart grow."

"You see," The King interjects politely, "The power may come from sadness, but it is not full of self-pity or hopelessness. It is pure, because it is a sadness that comes from love. That makes it one of the greatest and most beautiful emotions in all the worlds. It is strong enough to overcome any darkness."

Sora, Donald and Goofy are quiet, contemplating the weighty explanation. Roren doesn't notice that he is the center of their attention, but he probably would not have been able to care even if he had realized it.

"So is that what's wrong with Roren?" Sora asks softly. "He did say that he felt sad all the time. I thought it was because of Kate, but that didn't seem to fit."

Halvi nervously brushes her wispy hair back from her face. "Roren had to open his heart to release the power. It had been building up for a very long time, which is why it was so strong, but now it needs to regain what it lost. However, Roren's heart is still open; he has no way to close it on his own, and as long as it is unlocked the rivers of sorrow will be constantly coursing through him."

"The Noble Heart is trying to restore its strength, but his heart is like a bowl with a wide crack in the side." She cups her hands, and then spreads her fingers as an example. "It fills a little, but then all the contents escape a little at a time. All he needs is for someone to seal his heart again, so that the power can build and not flow out into him anymore."

"That's where I come in, right?" Sora says.

The King gives a swift nod. "You can lock Roren's heart with your keyblade, just like you lock the keyholes of each world."

"So he'll be good as new!" Goofy chimes and Sora smiles hopefully.

"Yes. Except that once you seal his heart, the heartless will return again," says Halvi. "If you noticed, ever since your battle in the square there have been no heartless wandering around. They are constantly repelled by The Noble Heart. They fear it, and when it is sealed they will try to steal it so that it will no longer threaten them. If they cannot do that they will try to destroy it from the inside, which is very painful for Roren."

Sora's spirits drop. "He just can win, huh? What should I do? Either way he'll be hurt."

Halvi opens her mouth to offer some advice, but surprisingly Roren speaks again. This time his voice is clearer than before, as if his old personality has managed to surface for a moment.

"I want you to do it, Sora," he says. "I can deal with the heartless just fine. They're really not so tough, you know? Besides, I'll need a new sparring partner once you guys take off."

Sora laughs uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Sure am! I mean, I'll never get promoted at this rate. I need to move on with my life, and it doesn't matter if that means I'll have to suffer a little. This world ain't perfect, but I still have to find my place in it, and I can't do that if my heart is dumping this depression on me like a tub of rotten fish all the time."

Everyone's faces light up with relieved smiles. Roren fights to maintain his confident emotions, but despite his efforts he is buried with more waves of melancholy. He is glad that the gloomy feelings will soon be gone.

Sora summons his keyblade, and it appears in his hand with a brilliant flash. He looks once more at Roren, who nods at him. He sighs and closes his eyes, searching out the purist power of the extraordinary weapon. The tip begins to glow, and little flashes of light swirl around it like tiny pixies. Roren wonders if he should brace himself somehow, but before he can figure out just how to do so, Sora performs an elegant skip and spins the keyblade until the tip points at his chest.

A strong beam of light flies out of the weapon and hits Roren solidly at his heart. He is surprised to find that he feels nothing at all, only a gentle click as something seems to fall back into place inside him. For a moment all emotion has left him, and then all at once he falls back and faints.

Sora stares at him crumpled on the ground, then he looks at The King and Halvi. "You didn't tell me that would happen! Is he alright?"

"Of course," Halvi says. She sighs as if some great burden had just been lifted off her. "He just needs to rest for a while."

"Gosh, I guess he's still gonna miss the party," Goofy observes.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Halvi stands at the crest of a tall hill, quietly thinking while the chill night wind brushes lightly by her. She gazes down into the military camp and listens to the joyful cheering that weaves through the rising and falling sound of music. The small bonfires in the distance glitter in her dark eyes like fireflies against the night sky.

She smiles, almost feeling content. Hours before she had been standing in the same place when she suddenly felt a surge of joy. She realized a moment later that the emotion was not her own. Somewhere in the camp Roren had finally awoken, and now that his weeping heart was sealed all of his pent-up cheerfulness had returned at once.

The joy he felt was so strong that it began to exude from him, infecting everyone around with the same excited sensation. Halvi had watched Roren charge around the camp, dragging all of the sleeping soldiers out into his world of delight.

No one complained, and most came rushing out of their tents full of energy that they did not understand. Bonfires were lit, music played and songs sung as the once war-weary men experienced the thrill of pure joy for the first time in years. Even the high-ranking officers came down from their courtyard. Not one of them could dig up a true feeling of anger. They lost their fatigued and jaded frowns, and joined in with their troo[s in the festal shouts and happy diversions of the glorious night.

Of course, Roren was the star of the show. Everyone got a good laugh from watching him burst into Sora's tent, emerging seconds later with the snoozing hero over his shoulder. He danced with everyone who was willing, played games, and sang out like he was performing for the moon. Even now, as the spontaneous celebration began to slow, Roren was still entertaining his friends. He sits in the center of a ring of soldiers, recounting old stories for their listening ears. He adds his own humor to the well-known tales, delighting in every note of laughter that rings out from his audience.

Halvi smiles again, watching him. She thinks that this is a just reward for the gloomy suffering he went through for weeks before. She is abruptly distracted by the quiet sound of shifting grass behind her, and she turns her head. The King approaches her side, and looks down over the ledge into the camp. They stand together for a while, just barely making out Roren's words. Sora is sitting just to his right, and he says something that draws more laughter from the crowd. Roren slaps him on his shoulder, his face lit with the firelight.

"Sure looks like fun, huh?" The King muses.

Halvi shrugs. "I suppose that it is. I can feel their happiness now."

"So, how are you doing?"

"I am better, thank you, your majesty."

The King turns to her and smiles gently. "I know what we did back there was hard for ya, but it was really important too. I don't think Roren would have made it much longer like that. Besides, Sora needs to move on to other worlds, and he's been kinda hung up here."

"Well, now he _can_ move on," Halvi says. "The only reason he didn't leave is because of Roren. The keyhole for this world was locked when the heartless was defeated; he had no other reason to remain except that he was worried for his friend."

The King nods absently. After a moment he asks, "What will you do now, Halvi? Have you decided?"

"I will do what you asked. I shall watch over Roren and his friends for you, though it will have to be from a distance. I realize how dangerous it if for me to be near them."

"Thank you, it's really important that The Noble Heart has a guardian," The King says. "I know you'll do a good job. I believe in ya!"

Halvi laughs, and then stoops down to give the giant rat a hug. "I shall call you if there is any trouble," she says over his shoulder. "I shall not…how does it go? Put you down?"

"I know you won't. And I won't _let_ you down either." Halvi recognizes her mistake and they both laugh.

Halvi looks down into the camp once more, staring for many long moments before she speaks again. "Sora and Roren…" she says thoughtfully. "I imagine that there are many great things in store for both of them. They both have such responsibility, and yet, they are likely two of the youngest men in this entire camp."

"Well, the keyblade and The Noble Heart choose their bearers for a reason," The King reminds her. "We might not know where those two will go next, so we just have to believe in them."

"I do. And I believe in you as well, your majesty."

Halvi stands up, and together she and the large rat turn their backs on the camp and walk away into the dark night. Down by the fire Roren looks up at the distant ledge where they had been standing, only a trace of a smile on his face. His gaze lingers there, until Sora nudges his side and recaptures his attention.

"What's the matter?" Sora asks. "Aren't you going to finish the story?"

Roren exaggerates surprise. "Oh! Did I forget? Next time you'll have to step in for me, in case I get lost, you know. It does happen."

"Yeah, yeah. Just tell us what happens! How does it end?" Donald yells and nearly jumps into Roren's lap.

"End?" Roren considers the word. His eyes suddenly turn serious. "Well, do you really think that every story has an end? No, all that happens is that after a while the baton is passed on to someone new, and they carry it as far as they can before they pass it on again. I just don't know the whole story, so I say that it ends when I have nothing left to tell." He looks at Donald, and then smiles. "So Donald, what would happen if I pass the story to you? Where will you carry it?"

The little duck jumps up and down with frustration and everyone laughs. After a moment Roren continues on, while high above them the quiet whirr of an engine can be heard. A strange boxy ship rises over the dark trees, and before anyone can see it, it turns and sails off toward the stars.

**The End**

(Look out for The Noble Heart II: Gold from the Mines

Coming Soon!)


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